Self-locking anchor stake

Abstract

A self-locking anchor stake to which an animal may be tethered, comprising a first member having a tethering or hitching ring or pin thereon, a second stake member attached to the first member and adapted for driving into the earth to position the first member, and a pair of third members hingedly attached to the first member and having stake portions, each describing an arc of a circle with its center at the hinge connection of the third member to the first member. The second member is driven into the ground. The stake portion of each third member is then driven into the ground and crosses the plane of the second member to grip the earth between the second member and the stake portion of each third member and to lock the anchor stake firmly in position in the earth.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. A self-locking anchor stake comprising a generally horizontally extending plate including tethering means extending upwardly therefrom and second, third and fourth members for inserting into the earth, said second member being rigidly attached to said plate and defining a downwardly extending plane perpendicular to the plane of the plate, said plate having two side edges and two end edges, and each of said third and fourth members including a first generally straight portion hingedly connected to said plate for movement with respect thereto and a second portion at the end of the first portion remote from the hinge, the second portion describing an arc of a circle, the center of which generally coincides with the axis of the hinge for insertion into the earth for intersecting the plane of said second member for retaining said stake firmly in the earth, one of said third and fourth members being hingedly connected at each of said end edges of said plate. 
     
     
       2. A self-locking anchor stake comprising first tethering means for retaining an animal, said first tethering means including a generally flat, horizontal plate having a low-profile tethering attachment projecting upwardly therefrom, and second, third and fourth means for inserting into the earth, said second means being fixedly connected to said plate and defining a plane projecting downwardly perpendicular to said plate, said plate having two side edges and two end edges, and each of said third and fourth means comprising a first portion hingedly connected at one end to the plate, the first portion extending generally radially from the hinged connection, and a second portion at the end of the first portion remote from the hinge, the second portion describing an arc with its center on the axis of the hinge for insertion into the earth in intersecting relationship with said downwardly extending plane for firmly fixing the stake in the earth, one of said third and fourth means being hingedly connected at each of said end edges to said plate.